Momordica charantia, is also called bitter melon or bitter gourd. It is a tropical and subtropical vine of the family Cucurbitaceae, widely grown in Asia, Africa and the Caribbean for its edible fruit, which is among the most bitter of all fruits. There are many varieties that differ substantially in the shape and bitterness of the fruit.
Processes for extraction of the active constituents from various parts Momordica charantia and the formulations these constituents have been disclosed in Indian Patent 81887, GB1435664, IN156263, U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,710, JP3112999, CN1180545, U.S. Pat. No. 6,852,695, U.S. Pat. No. 6,831,162 IN191582, CN1253734 CN1303698, IN188858, IN826/DEL/2000, IN768/MUM/2001, CN1418890, JP2005126370, CN1562340, CN1858223, JP2006314273, CN1709900, CN1872134, JP2008120701, TW200927139, CN101366806, CN101461514, CN101485429, CN101597389 and CN101637491.
The hitherto reported processes for extraction of the active constituents from various parts Momordica charantia suffer from several limitations which include: use of organic solvents for extraction, use of heat during processing, use of enzymes during the extraction process, use of sophisticated equipments for the extraction process.
Also, the formulations comprising the Momordica constituents suffer from numerous short-comings which include lower shelf life, reduction in the potency and high cost on account of high processing.
There is therefore felt a need for a process for extraction of the active constituents from Momordica charantia which is simple, cost effective, which does not employ any harmful organic solvents and which enhances the potency of the constituents. A need is also felt for a formulation comprising active constituents of Momordica charantia which is simple, effective and potent as compared to the existing product.